Oddball Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Got this and a couple of other little gems in the post yesterday. Mrs Oddball is always amused by how excited I get opening up the package. "But you already know what's in there!" Yes but knowing what it is and actually getting to take the sprues out of the box and examine them are two entirely different things. This seems to be an excellent value little kit, plenty of plastic for the price of a pint in a classy establishment (not that they ever let me into those places mind you). Here is the obligatory box shot. And inside you get, as well as destructions and basic decals, two halves of the hull and seven sprues. Two each for the wheels and sprickets, with what looks like some nice slide moulding on the return rollers. Two with the guns, hull parts and odds'n'sods. And one for the tracks. Considering the scale, they're actually a lot better than I was expecting, and miles better than the Airfix ones I had before. They are an absolute git to photograph though. The detail is clean and crisp, perhaps a little on the chunky side but a coat of primer should tone it down a bit. Should come up pretty nicely. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham w Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Hi Oddball, the detail looks good on this kit, never worked with trumpeter before. Can't wait to see progress reports. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 It is pretty good I must admit. Like I said it is a little on the heavy side, but it's always easier to reduce it than add more. Goodies are in the post! So this one should be underway in a couple of days. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Package arrived this very morning. Couldn't wait to get it open and see the goods. A lovely set of Aber sideskirts! It's been ages since I put some PE together and I've never attempted it in 1/72 so I'll probably lose what little sanity I have left, but the results should be well worth it. Let the madness commence!! Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 When I said madness, it was no small understatement. One of the main reasons for buying my new optilamp was for the PE, but also because I have decided in my infinite wisdom stupidity (this being a mid production and all) to add my own zimmerit. I've decided to go for the liquid cement/small screwdriver (in this case a small piece of wire filed to the correct profile) approach, after testing on a couple of scrap bits of course. The first attempt is going well, I'm rather emboldened by the knowledge that if I cock it up I can always sand it down a bit and start again. 20 minutes of eye boggling, dizziness and hand cramping produced this: It's a little wonky here and there but it should serve the purpose. Odd. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Step Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Looks really good, lovely low tech way to get a zim effect. They were never perfectly straight anyway so looks fine to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) Work on this continues at break neck speed. Well, maybe for a sloth, but I am getting there. The lower hull is now fully zimmed up, and I'm roughly halfway through the top half. The picture below doesn't represent the finished article, I took it on a break while I was waiting for the hand cramps to recede. I know it seems a little faint in places but it will be getting a light sanding all over once it is done, as I'm trying to keep it as close to scale as possible. Even the largest/deepest zimmerit patterns are tiny in 1/72. Also made a start on the PE, a bit fiddly without a tool but I'll struggle on. Odd. Edited August 15, 2014 by Oddball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Loads of sexy bracketry!! I'm also stupendously proud to say that not a single part was lost to the gaping death maw of the carpet monster. Mind you, now that I've said that the whole lot will probably go overboard. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Some rudimentary pre-shading done, and it's almost time for paint! I did have to do some work on the mounting brackets, given that they're primarily intended for the Pz IV. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oz! Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 looking good!. regards oz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Thanks oz, I'm glad you like it. I've been beavering away at the kit, I had a thought about doing some dark brown "tiger stripes" but I just wasn't getting the effect I wanted so I decided to go my own rambling way. It's really in your face right now, but once I start washing and dusting it should start to blend quite nicely. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted August 31, 2014 Author Share Posted August 31, 2014 The Stupa is looking a lot more dirty and hardworking now, I'm sticking to humbrol and tamiya weathering items so far, I want her to look a lot more like a late summer/early autumn vehicle, dusty and dry before the rains come along and wash her down. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 Well after a whole morning of trying (and failing) to get the tracks joined up I've finally resorted to the big guns. JB Weld!!! If that doesn't hold it nothing will. They should be ready for fitting this time tomorrow. And they're just loose enough to add some sag, I have a cunning plan, Mr B! I did get the wheels on however, and they shall be receiving a thorough dusting this afternoon. For anyone who decides to build a similar trumpeter kit, the tracks at first seem too small (by about 4-5 links) but if you hand stretch them gently in sections, they will eventually stretch enough to join up. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Well it seems the JB weld was a success. Not the most elegant of solutions but everything is stuck down tight, and I've even managed to get a little sag into the top run of the tracks. Now to the weathering and covering up the little spots of JB weld that have appeared here and there. Odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddball Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Side skirts are on now. They were a bit of a fiddle and I managed to chip the paint on a couple but I should be able to fix the damage. Odd. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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